Ember Equipment is the name of a group of industrial designers with "deep experience and expertise in the design of technical soft-goods and equipment," as they write. "We most especially love bad-ass backpacks." That adjective perfectly suits their awesome Modular Urban Pack, which appears to be designed with indestructible, weatherproof hardware and provides the flexibility to add tailored modules that suit whatever you're hauling. Take a look at the demo video of their two models, which are currently up on Kickstarter:

While consumers will ultimately be able to pick and choose options to build their own packs, for the MUP's Kickstarter campaign there will be four pre-configured pack-builds on offer. Buy-in starts at US $209 for a "Minimalist" model and top out at $289 for their "Outfitter" pack loaded up with every gear option.

The magnetic attachment system no doubt has your attention, and if you've wondered about how secure that is as an attachment point, you're not alone. Ember clears it up with this explanation:

Pouches and Cases Magnetic Lock Attachment and Detachment

The Add-On Pouches and Cases are designed specifically to "ATTACH INSTANTLY" but require a "TWO STAGE, TWO HANDED PROCESS" to remove. We did this purposefully so that you can instantly add accessory pouches/cases to the pack, but removing them is more difficult. This is to prevent theft or inadvertent detachment. The attachment and detachment process is easy to learn, you need only to try it once and you get it.

In order to remove a pouch or case you must use two hands. One hand holding the pouch/case and the other pulling up on the mechanism release tab. If you simply pull on the pouch/case, it will not move. There are two types of magnetic-locks on each pouch/case. Each lock features a carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon mechanism with a load capacity of approximately 65 kg each = 130 kg!

We will follow up with actual test videos soon.